Chapter 14 - The Courthouse Trap
We knew the courthouse demand was a trap.
We also knew Lena was really in the car because the photo showed a scar on her left wrist that almost nobody knew about.
Adrian called a federal prosecutor he trusted.
The prosecutor did not answer.
He called a second.
Disconnected.
My father swore.
"Hale still has people inside."
Vanessa sat at the kitchen table with a laptop. "Then we stop trying to hand evidence to people he owns."
"What are you doing?" Eleanor asked.
"Setting up a dead man's switch."
I looked over her shoulder.
She had uploaded the financial records to encrypted servers in three countries.
"If I don't enter a code every six hours," Vanessa said, "everything goes to twenty newspapers, four regulators, and every donor whose name appears in these files."
Adrian stared. "When did you learn to do this?"
"When everyone assumed I spent my life shopping."
For the first time, I liked her.
A little.
At 10:47 a.m., we approached the federal courthouse in two vehicles.
I wore a dark coat over borrowed body armor.
Vanessa sat beside me.
"If we survive this," she said, "I'm going to apologize."
"For the kick?"
"Don't ruin it."
"I want witnesses."
She almost smiled.
The designated car was parked across from the courthouse.
Lena sat in the back seat, hands bound.
Martin was behind the wheel.
No Hale.
I stepped onto the sidewalk.
"Martin!"
He looked at me through the windshield.
His face was bruised.
He shook his head violently.
Then I saw the wire under his collar.
Explosive vest.
Vanessa whispered, "Oh God."
Martin lowered the window one inch.
"Don't come closer."
"Where is Hale?"
"Watching."
"Can you get out?"
"Pressure switch under my seat."
Lena opened her eyes.
She looked toward the courthouse steps.
A man in a maintenance uniform stood near a trash can holding a phone.
His thumb hovered over the screen.
Remote trigger.
I turned to Adrian. "Find that man."
Adrian moved.
The man saw him.
May you like
His thumb dropped.
And Martin shouted, "RUN!"
